


The Last, Last Forever

by IceCreamGurl6455



Category: How I Met Your Mother
Genre: AU, Family, Fix-It, Humor, Multi, Rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-31
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2018-04-14 02:57:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4547490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceCreamGurl6455/pseuds/IceCreamGurl6455
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the television series "How I Met Your Mother," and nor will I ever. I do not own any characters or settings you recognize, and I do not profit from this in any way. "The Last, Last Forever" is a story by me (IceCreamGurl6455), originally published on FanFiction.net, purely for my entertainment and the entertainment of others. No part of this story may be duplicated, quoted, or replicated without my permission and proper citation. Thank you for understanding the terms on which this story was and continues to be written. I appreciate your time and thank you in advance for complying with my personal standards, rules, and international laws.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. The Last, Last Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the television series "How I Met Your Mother," and nor will I ever. I do not own any characters or settings you recognize, and I do not profit from this in any way. "The Last, Last Forever" is a story by me (IceCreamGurl6455), originally published on FanFiction.net, purely for my entertainment and the entertainment of others. No part of this story may be duplicated, quoted, or replicated without my permission and proper citation. Thank you for understanding the terms on which this story was and continues to be written. I appreciate your time and thank you in advance for complying with my personal standards, rules, and international laws.

According to the rest of the Internet, I’m not the only one who was upset with the ending.  This is how I always imagined it would play out.  Hope you enjoy!

* * *

“And that, kids, is how I met your mother.” Ted smiled at Penny and Luke. “And that only took up a few hours, so who’s up for another story?”

“No!” they yelled in unison. 

“Dad, you’ve kept us in here all day, can’t we leave?” Penny whined. 

“Yeah, Dad, you’ve already told us most of that story. Can’t you come up with anything new?” Luke grumbled.

Ted sighed.  “Hey, you just heard some pretty legendary stuff.  Don’t take it lightly.  Now, what have you learned?”

The kids rolled their eyes.  “That we shouldn’t get a pet goat?” suggested Penny.

“That Uncle Barney has all the moves and you can’t flirt?” Luke asked.

“That it’s better to not ask where the pineapple came from?”

“That it’s okay to lose your umbrella?”

“That nothing good happens after 2 AM?”

“That—”

“Are you holding the children hostage again, Ted?” Tracy walked in, trying to contain her grin.  “I thought we agreed on a one hour max of storytelling each day.”

Ted’s eyes softened as he looked at his wife. “I was telling the kids the story of I met you.”

Tracy rested her hands on the back of the old red couch, looking first at her husband, and then at her two wonderful children. “Let me think…it was raining, we were at a train station, and it was after your Uncle Barney and Aunt Robin got married.  He tapped me on the shoulder and we talked for a while.  And that’s how I met your father.”

Penny whirled back around to look at her dad. “You mean that’s all you had to tell us? We could have left ages ago!” 

“Yeah, Dad, Marshall and Liam are in town, we were going to hang out all day, and now we only have a few hours.”

Tracy looked at the teenagers. “Go on, get out of here. Have fun.  Live life.”

They bolted for the door, letting it swing shut behind them.

Ted sighed.  “I thought they would like that story.  I love the way we met, and I wanted them to understand that.” 

Tracy walked over to Ted and sat on his lap, taking his hand.  “I love the way we met, too. But they’re kids. Someday, they’ll appreciate all those stories.  But for now, they need to make their own.”

“You’re right,” Ted said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead.  “What would I do without you?”

Tracy looked back into Ted’s eyes. “I don’t know. And I’m glad we’ll never have to find out.”

 

how i met your mother


	2. Forever and Ever...

“Hello, this is Robin Scherbatsky for World Wide News, reporting live to you from the steps of the Low Memorial Library at Columbia University.  U.S. President Pamela Garnett is scheduled to give a speech here in less than ten minutes, and many have speculated that she will be announcing her pregnancy with partner Michael Garnett’s child.  The two have been together since early 2026, more than two years before President Garnett won the presidential election and became the youngest president ever and the first female president. There have been rumors swirling for weeks, and now the president will address them herself. Sandy?”

Former weather girl Brandi Harrison’s face flashed on camera. “Thank you, Robin. We’ve got live footage of the presidential limousine for you.”  A live stream showing a slowly movinglimousine, surrounded by police cars with blinking lights, filled the screen.

“The president and her husband,” Brandi’s voiceover stated, “are on track to arrive in just under four minutes.  They are returning from the funeral service of the First Gentleman’s cousin, a fallen serviceman, held earlier this morning at Trinity Cemetery.  This just in: the White House Press Secretary has confirmed that a statement about the president’s health will be included in today’s speech. This may—oh my God!”

The live feed showed a semi-truck barreling out of nowhere a block in front of the president’s entourage.

Robin’s face filled the screen. “Brandi?  What’s happening?”  The sound of sirens filled the air.

Brandi’s flushed face appeared alongside Robin’s, replacing the live footage.  “We can’t show anymore on the air, but a semi-truck seems to have lost control while driving.  The driver appears to have regained brake control after colliding with the passenger side of a blue Aston Martin Ladrón.  Paramedics have yet to arrive on the scene, but witnesses to the crash are saying the situation is not looking good.  It is clear if there are any survivors.  The presidential speech will undoubtedly be delayed by this tragic event. Back to you, Robin.”

More sirens were heard. Robin’s face was pale. After nearly thirty years as a reporter, she still hadn’t gotten used to the gruesome reports that, unfortunately, were daily occurrences in major cities like New York. “This is tragic, indeed. The Press Secretary has just sent out a message that today’s speech will be given instead from the Presidential Suite at the Waldorf-Astoria.  Tomorrow, the president and her partner will both be visiting Columbia’s campus privately.”

Brandi spoke again. “The first ambulances have arrived on the scene.  Witnesses have seen a man being extracted from the truck; he is not showing signs of life. Firefighters are currently using the Jaws of Life to rescue the driver and possible passengers of the Ladrón. Robin?”

The Canadian reporter gulped. “I think you’ve got it covered, Brandi. This is Robin Scherbatsky, signing off. Tune in at eight tonight to watch the presidential address from the Waldorf-Astoria.” She shakily set down her microphone and checked the constantly updated WWN info feed.  Headlines screamed out at her as they shifted up the page and were replaced with the newest reports.

 

 **BREAKING- SEMI CRASH:** Truck driver unconscious

**BREAKING- SEMI CRASH:** Truck driver identified as Michael Sasser, age 53

**BREAKING- SEMI CRASH:** Confirmed, 1 passenger in Ladrón.

**BREAKING- SEMI CRASH:** Jaws of Life rescue man in suit from Ladrón, no other details.

 

 **BREAKING- SEMI CRASH:** Movement from inside Ladrón.

 

 **BREAKING- SEMI CRASH:** Young girl rescued, injured but alive.

 

 **BREAKING- SEMI CRASH:** All three victims taken to SLRHC by ambulance

 

Robin gasped as she read the one-liners.  “Barney,” she breathed, not realizing she was already running toward St. Luke’s.

* * *

 

“TV, off,” Tracy called. Its screen immediately faded to black. She turned to Ted. “Honey, what are we going to do?”

Ted’s mind kept replaying the words “victim dressed in Armani suit” over and over.

“Ted?  Ted, hon. Listen to me.  Talk to me,” she pleaded.  “Say something.”

“I—,” he broke off. “I can’t do this.” Silent tears streamed down Ted’s face.

Unshed tears made his wife’s eyes glassy.  “I know. I know, babe, but you have to. We all have to. Barney needs us right now, and he needs Marshall and Lily and Penny and Luke and Marvin and Daisy and Liam too.” She bit her lip, blinking to stop herself from crying.  “And Robin. He needs Robin.”

* * *

 

Luke and Liam were looking through Luke’s closet.  “I had the shirt, I know I did.  It’s gotta be here somewhere.”

“It’s okay if you can’t find it, man.”  Liam shrugged. “The concert’s still gonna be legen-wait for the second part-dary!”

“You’re never going to be as good at saying legendary as Uncle Barney,” Marvin said, rolling his eyes.

Liam smiled lazily. “I am completely okay with that.”

Luke sighed exasperatedly. He called down the hall to his sister. “Penny, have you seen my shirt from The Solids’ tour?”

“Nope!” she answered.

There was a knock on the door; it was his mother.  Tracy looked at the three boys.  “Hey, I need to see you three in the study.”

Luke groaned. “Not another story.”

“Luke, I need you, Marvin, and Liam in the study right now,” she repeated before moving on to Penny’s room.

Luke looked at his “cousins”.  “I guess we have to go downstairs,” he grumbled.

* * *

 

Robin ran into the emergency room. “I need to see Barney Stinson,” she exhaled to the nurse at the desk. 

The dark haired woman eyed her press pass skeptically.  “Yeah, that’s going to happen.”

Robin grabbed her WhiteScreen and pulled up a picture from her wedding.  “I’m his wife, and you need to let me in _now_.”

The nurse was flustered. “Yes, of course, Ms. Scherbatsky—I mean, Mrs. Stinson—your husband is in the ICU right now, but I can take you to the observation room.”

“Please,” she implored.

Robin followed the nurse through the twisting maze of hallways, not realizing that she had called herself Barney’s wife.

* * *

 

“Kids, I need to tell you something.”  Tracy glanced at Ted, who was still sitting in his chair.  He had barely moved since hearing the news.  “Your Uncle Barney has been in an accident. Ellie may have gotten hurt too, but the hospital won’t release any details because we aren’t immediate family and she is a minor.”

“What happened?” Liam asked, looking scared.

Tracy sighed. “There was a car accident. A bad car accident. Marvin, you’re in charge. No one under eighteen is allowed in the ICU, and I am trusting all of you to make good decisions. We will tell you what’s going on as soon as we know.  Liam, Marvin, your parents are meeting us at the hospital.  Daisy will probably stay with us, but she may bring the car and crash here tonight, so Penny, set up the cot just in case.”

“Is Dad going to be okay?” Penny asked.

Her mother looked tired.  “He’s going to have to be. I love each and every one of you very much.  Now, we need to leave.” She wrapped her arm around Ted’s back and helped ease him out of his old chair and through the door.

* * *

 

Barney was not wearing his suit anymore.  It had been replaced with a thin, white, probably backless hospital gown. 

Robin hated it. She hated that he looked so fragile. She hated that he was lying in a metal bed, helpless.  She hated that he had tubes sticking out of everywhere.

She hated that he was alone.

A squeaking sound echoed down the hallway, getting louder and louder.  Robin turned to see a blonde girl with a freckled nose wheeling toward her.

“Is my daddy in there?” she asked.

Robin could see Barney in the girl’s features.  She couldn’t be anyone else’s child.  She had to be…“Ellie?”

Ellie nodded. “Can I please see Daddy now? I wanna show him my cast.” She waved her left arm at Robin.

Robin closed her eyes and took three deep breaths.  “Ellie, honey?” she said, smiling despite feeling like she was empty inside. “My name is Robin. Your daddy and I—”

Ellie suddenly looked bashful. “I know who you are. You’re so pretty.”

Robin’s heart returned a little. “Thank you, sweetie. Your daddy is going to be very proud of how brave you’ve been, and he’s going to love how cool your cast looks, but he’s getting fixed up right now, okay?”

Her ex-husband’s love child smiled.  “Okay. Do you want to play Go Fish in my room?”

How could Robin refuse?  “I,” she said, standing behind Ellie’s chair and taking one last look at Barney, “would _love_ to play Go Fish with you.”

* * *

 

Lily and Marshall arrived nearly an hour after they received the call.  “Daisy’s headed to your house,” Lily told the Mosby’s. “How is he?”

“Stable enough,” Tracy replied, rubbing circles on Ted’s back to soothe him.  “They rushed him in for surgery, it might be awhile.”

“Was he alone in the car?” Marshall asked slowly.

Tracy took a deep breath and shook her head, letting the tears fall.  “Ellie was with him.  Her side got hit, and the doctors say that she would have died instantly if Barney hadn’t covered her.  He absorbed most of the impact.  It looks bad.”

Lily’s face contorted as she cried.  “That brave, stupid, wonderful man,” she sobbed.  “If he dies…”

Ted let out a strangled sound.

“No,” Marshall said. “No one’s dying.”

“Did you get a hold of Robin?” Tracy asked.  “Her phone went to voicemail when I called; I know she’s somewhere in the city for the president’s speech, but I don’t know where.  She has to be told.”

Marshall looked dejected. “She didn’t answer our calls, either.” Lily crawled onto Marshall’s lap. “Do we have any answers yet for why it happened?  I’m taking this case on personally.  Even if it is a conflict of interest, this is Barney and Ellie.  This is family.”

“The driver lost control. Brake fluid was low. He couldn’t stop it. And then he flew through the windshield when the brakes started working and died on impact.”  Ted spoke in a low monotonous voice.  “Life’s full of stupid things that happen and hurt people.” His voice broke on the word love.

Tracy turned to her husband. “We’ve gotten through two kids, a wedding, a marriage, and a scary bout of cancer.  We will get through this.  Barney is going to be fine.”  

She wished she could convince herself. 

* * *

 

Robin was playing her eleventh round of Speed with Ellie when the rest of the crew were allowed to see their niece.  

“Robin?  What are you doing here?” Marshall asked in a not-so-calm voice.

“I—” 

Lily started to cry again. “Why didn’t you pick up your phone?”

Robin checked her WhiteScreen’s messages.  _92 unheard calls_ , it blinked back at her. She cringed.  “Oops.  I’ve been keeping Ellie company while her Barney heals.  Is he in a room yet?”

“The nurse said she would swing by when he was.”  Tracy walked to the bed and gave Robin a hug.  “Hey, Scherbatsky.  How ya doin’?” Robin smiled and hugged her back. “And Ellie!  How are you?  Ready for another sleepover at Uncle Ted and Aunt Tracy’s?”

Ellie beamed. “Yep!  Can it be tonight?”

Tracy glanced at Ted. “I hope so.  If the doctors say yes, then absolutely.”

Marshall and Lily embraced Robin. Tracy nudged her husband. “One of your best friends and your niece are over there.  Go say hi.” He didn’t move, instead staring straight ahead.  “Ted Mosby, that little girl needs her uncle right now.  You go over there and tell her everything’s going to be okay. She’s been through enough today.”

Slowly, Ted shuffled to the hospital bed.  “Ellie, I’m so glad that you’re okay.”

Tracy smiled, watching the two interact.  She saw someone in the hallway out of the corner of her eye, and turned to see that it was the nurse. Tracy snuck out of the room. “How is he?”

The nurse glanced over her shoulder into the room.  “He wants his wife.”

“Excuse me?” Tracy asked.

“His wife. Robin Scherbatsky, the world-famous journalist.  He asked for her.”

Tracy was confused.  But if Barney had amnesia or didn’t remember the divorce, that was bad.  “Robin?” she called.  “Come out here.” 

* * *

 

Barney blinked. His eyelids hurt.

Actually, Barney’s everything hurt.  He was covered in bruises, fractures, and skin grafts.  But he was alive.  He was alive for Ellie.

And that was all that mattered.

Robin rushed into the room, and the doctor looked up from Barney’s medical chart.  “Ah.  Ms. Scherbatsky. I’ll give you two a moment before we discuss the Barney’s future.”  The man closed the door behind him. 

“You’re alive,” Robin whispered.

Barney smiled weakly. “Oh yeah.”

“I thought…we thought…Ellie’s been asking for you.”

He smiled a little more strongly. “Good.  She’s okay, then?”

Robin nodded and sniffled, trying to keep her brave face on.  “Yeah. She’s great.  Thanks to you.”

“She’s my life now. Without her, I would die.” Barney blinked and grimaced. “So what’s this about us being married?”

“Wha—did I really say that?” Robin asked.  “I wasn’t thinking, I guess.”

Barney closed his eyes for a long moment.  “Oh.”

“I think Ellie wants to spend the night at Ted and Tracy’s house.  Marvin’s chaperoning, and the rest of the kids are already there.”

Barney moved his head almost imperceptibly up and down.  “Good. I’ll tell the doc that they can sign her out.”

“That should—”

Barney interrupted, “Aren’t you supposed to be at work right now?  Exposing corruption in Middle Korea, going undercover in St. Petersburg, hiking in the Swiss Alps?” 

“I—yes,” Robin stuttered. “But this is more important. You’re more important.”

“Am I really?” 

Robin felt tears yearning to fall. “Yes.  Of course you are.”

“Then why didn’t you ever try, really try, to make us work?  We could have been legendary.”  There was no “wait for it” to interrupt Barney’s favorite word this time.  “I loved you so much.  And you threw it all away.”

The tears won the battle. “I was scared. And I didn’t want to be less than what you needed.  So I did the one thing I knew how to do.  And it was the worst thing I could have done, because I lost you, and I wish I never had taken this stupid job.”

Barney tried to raise his hand to her face, but he could barely lift a finger.  Robin took his hand in hers.  “Robin Scherbatsky, _you_ are what I needed.  What I need. And just because you lost me doesn’t mean you can’t find me again.  I’m like one of those awesome dogs that the owner forgets in Vegas but then when it’s done partying it find its way back to its home in West Virginia.”

Robin looked at Barney with a faint smile on her face.

“So, I’ve got Barney’s chart right here.  He suffered a fractured skull and multiple contusions to the head, two broken legs, three shifted discs in his vertebrae, and he severed axons in his spine.  The spine is what we are primarily concerned about for now; can we make arrangements for your daughter tonight?”

“Yes, send her home with Ted and Tracy Mosby.”

“I will fill out the discharge papers myself, Mr. Stinson.”

“Thank you.”

Robin was upset. “What’s wrong with his spine?”

“The nerves in the spine are very delicate.  I’ve seen cases with less trauma that have resulted in instant paralyzation.”

“Barney’s paralyzed?” Robin asked softly.

Barney looked at her sadly. “Yeah.  I can’t move anything below my head.”

That was when Robin lost it. Barney tried to comfort her, but she was inconsolable.  And he couldn’t really do much in his current state.

The doctor was clearly uncomfortable.  “Ms. Scherbatsky—”

“Stinson,” she sobbed.

“Ms. Stinson, please hear me out. In the past, axon damage was irreversible.  But this is the year 2030, after all.  During surgery, we extracted some endothelial stem cells from your husband, and when everything else is healed, we will fuse them to the remaining axon fragments so they can heal.  He’ll be up again in less than six months.”

Robin was partly ecstatic, partly in shock.  “Barney? Barney!”

Barney chuckled. “You need to watch the news more.”

The doctor left to prepare Ellie’s discharge papers.  Robin entwined her hand with Barney’s lifeless one.  “I love you, Barney Stinson,” she said.

“I never stopped loving you, Scherbatsky.”


	3. Amen.

6 months later 

November 2030

* * *

“Can a divorce be annulled?”

Marshall was confused.  “What?”

“Can a person get a divorce annulled. Like, have it proclaimed invalid. That it never happened.”

Marshall took the phone away from his ear, making it automatically switch to speakerphone.  “Robin, what are you talking about?  Is this for a news story?  Because if it is—”

“No, it’s not for a story, it’s for personal use. Don’t tell Lily. You cannot, under any circumstances, tell Lily.  I will tell Lily.”

“You’re getting back together with Barney?” Lily screeched.

Marshall could almost hear Robin cringe on the other side of the line.  “Marshall,” she asked while gritting her teeth, “why am I on speakerphone, and why is Lily at your work?”

Lily snorted.  “Honey, you interrupted something that should _never_ be interrupted.  You’re lucky I even let him answer the phone.”

“You’re on my speed dial, and that means you bypass the ‘do not disturb’ settings,” Marshall explained sheepishly.

Robin heard a zipper being pulled up. “Oh my God, I’ll call back when you’re done—”

“The moment’s over now, just continue telling us how YOU AND BARNEY ARE GETTING UNDIVORCED!” Lily said excitedly, pulling her maroon sweater over her head and sitting on the couch in Marshall’s office. “I’ll take that money whenever you have it, dear,” she told her husband, who sighed and took out his wallet. 

“We haven’t officially decided anything yet, but we’re thinking about—you bet that we were going to get back together? It’s been fourteen years, Lily.”

Lily shrugged and took the fifty-dollar bill from Marshall.  “Money’s money, Robin. I can’t help it if I’m good at predicting stuff.  Thanks, Marshmallow,” Lily smiled, kissing her husband.

Robin cleared her throat.  “So, yeah.  Me and Barney.” She took a deep breath. “We’re going to try and make it work this time.  But we wanted to know if we could just void the divorce or if we would have to go through the marriage thing again.  We want to keep it as hassle-free as possible for Ellie.”

“Of course.  We will do whatever you need us to,” Lily promised.

“And I’ll recheck the laws and precedents regarding divorce,” Marshall assured her.  “I can give you an answer at dinner tomorrow.”

Robin nodded.  “Thanks, guys.  See you at Ted’s.”

Lily and Marshall called, “See ya!” in unison before the line was disconnected.

Marshall looked at his spry, ginger wife. “Did you mean it when you said ‘the moment was over,’ Lilypad?”

Lily smirked at him and raised her eyebrows.  “Of course not, Mr. Supreme Fudge.”

* * *

 

Barney watched his daughter as she told Penny and Daisy about how she got her cast off. 

“..So then the doctor told me it would feel funny, and it did.  But the cast got off and the scary saw thing didn’t hurt me.  And then he asked if I wanted to keep the cast, and I said yes, and now I have everyone’s names on it, and Daddy said that I can put it on a stand and stand it on my bureau! 

The teenagers exchanged a look, smiling, as they listened to their younger cousin.  “That was so brave, Ellie!” Daisy gushed.

Penny asked, “Weren’t you scared?”

Ellie shook her head.  “Uh-uh.  ‘Cause Daddy was there with me, and he promised it would be okay.  Daddy’s the smartest man in the whole world, and he always tells the truth.  And then we got ice cream!”

Barney smiled softly.  He remembered a time when he was much less than his daughter believed of him.  A time when he lied, and took whatever he wanted, and used people, and broke them for his own gain.

But that wasn’t Barney anymore. That hadn’t been him for a long, long time. And, he hoped silently, that wasn’t Robin anymore.  Because if Robin showed even a hint of the cold, professional person she had been fourteen years ago, he would have to stop seeing her.  She wasn’t the most important girl in his life anymore, and she could never be. He had a daughter now.

Barney had grown up.  Had Robin?

Tracy stepped into the living room. “Barney?  Dinner’s ready, we’re just setting it out now. Want me to wheel you in?”

He nodded.  “Thank you, Tracy.”

She smiled back at him.  “It’s the least I can do.  Just a little while before you’ll be back on your feet again! Ellie, Daisy, Penny? Dinnertime.  And Aunt Robin called to say she’s leaving work early, so she should be here any minute.  Who wants to go greet her?”  Tracy grinned at her nieces and daughter.  “And she may or may not have mentioned a special surprise she’ll need help with,” Mrs. Mosby winked.

“Pie!” the girls squealed, racing to the front door.

Tracy caught the brief expression of Barney’s face. “What’s up, Grumpypants?”

Barney furrowed his brow.  “Ellie already had ice cream today.  I don’t want her to have too much sugar—”

Tracy made a noise of disapproval. “She’s a ten year old girl, Barney. She can handle it. It is a big day, after all.”

Barney sighed. “I guess you’re right. Wheel me in, Scotty,” he joked.

“So, how’s the physical therapy going, Barney?” Ted asked through a mouthful of turkey.

“It’s going well.  At least, I think so.  The doctor says that I need to keep exercising my legs even though I still can’t walk, so I just kind of stay there while the specialists move them. It’s better than regaining feeling but not being able to walk.”  Barney moved his fork to his mouth slowly.  He hadn’t regained all the muscle memory he needed to complete basic movements yet, but luckily the damage was reparable.

Robin spoke up.  “He has an appointment with the surgeon tomorrow to discuss the final axon fusions.  Hopefully, the surgery can be scheduled for the next few weeks, and Barney will be able to walk with crutches by Christmastime.”

“What time is the appointment, Robin?” Lily inquired in an innocent voice.

Robin winced.  “Three thirty, and I know I’m supposed to be shopping with you all day, Lils, but that was the only time the clinic could fit us in.  Besides, I’ll be there to hit all the sales with you and the girls from 5 till 3.”

Ellie beamed, showing off her missing front tooth. “I get to go Black Friday shopping this year, right, Daddy?”

Barney turned his tired eyes to her. “Of course, Princess. And you get to stay out and have more fun with your cousins and aunts while Aunt Robin takes me to the clinic.”

“And boys, we get to watch football and play on the virtual field for playoffs at four,” Ted reminded his son and nephews.

“Go Vikings!” Marshall exclaimed.

Liam rolled his eyes.  “Dad, you know it’s just a virtual league, right? The pro teams aren’t actually going to be there.”

Marshall gently admonished him, “You don’t know that, Son.  If you’re lucky, you might meet the virtual avatars of some great football players.”

“Not with a name like SasquatchLives1978, Dad,” Marvin said.

“Yeah, you should really change that if you want to be drafted before six, Uncle Marshall,” Luke added.

Lily rubbed her husband’s hand as he grumbled about how disrespectful the youth of 2030 were.  “They’re right, honey,” she told him soothingly.

“Well, we’re all going to have tons of fun tomorrow, that’s for sure,” Tracy said with a smile.

“Who wants pie?” Robin asked. All the kids but Penny ran to the kitchen. 

She walked over to Barney.  “Want some pie?” she asked him.

He shook his head.  “Not today, Penny.  But thank you for asking.”

“No problem, Uncle Barney.  I can’t wait till you can walk again.”

Barney’s eyes crinkled.  “Me neither.  Go have your Thanksgiving pie, Penny-girl.”

She left the six adults in the dining room. “So, anyone want to explain what’s going on between those two at the end?” Tracy asked, gesturing to Barney and Robin.

Robin and Barney traded a glance. “We’re discussing resuming our relationship,” Robin explained carefully.

Marshall remembered the conversation that had happened the day before.  “Robin, I checked into the possibility we discussed yesterday.  It’s more of a religious thing, and I don’t think it’s going to be applicable in this situation.  You’re going to have to go through the whole process again.”

Ted was confused.  “What process?”

“Robin and I are thinking about resuming our marriage. We wanted to know if we could get the divorce annulled.”  Barney’s heart sank when he thought of what another marriage would mean.

All six kids walked back into the room at once, carrying plates of pie with mounds of whipped cream on top.

“What the—”

“You guys are getting back together?” Daisy cried.

“It’s November.  My month, guys, so pay up,” Luke said.  His cousins and sister grumbled.

Robin looked like someone had just told her they loved her at the end of their first date.  “You took bets on when we would get back together?” she asked.

“You couldn’t have waited three more days until it was December?  I wanted to get you all good Christmas presents, and now Luke’s taking all I’ve got!” Ellie answered her dumbfounded gaze.

“No gambling for the under-12 crowd,” Tracy announced. Luke sighed, handing Ellie’s twenty-eight dollars back.  The little blonde girl grinned.

“Well, we know none of these kids got switched at the hospital,” Ted grinned.

* * *

 

January 2031

* * *

 

“It’s been a month since the surgery, Barney. How do those legs feel?" 

Barney leaned his crutches on the wall and hobbled over to the state-of-the-art, pressure-gauging chair he always sat in at appointments.  “They feel all right. It’s weird, walking again,” he replied at the machine locked around his legs and started checking his progress automatically.  “My left leg is healing slower than my right. I still can’t move my knee.”

Warning bells went off in the surgeon’s head. _Both legs should be almost fully healed by now_ , he thought. “Let’s check that out.” He pressed a few buttons and entered in commands, and the machine started analyzing the axons, remaining bone fragments, scar tissue, and other parts that might hinder Barney’s recovery. “No trouble with the right leg, then?”

“None at all,” Barney answered. He adjusted his suit coat nervously.

The screen beeped and the surgeon read Barney’s prognosis carefully.  “Mr. Stinson, your right leg is on track to be fully healed by the end of the month. But your left leg...I can see a bit of scar tissue build-up, nothing to be worried about, but it looks like two of the axons aren’t responding to the stem cells from your bone marrow. It’s incredibly difficult to harvest those, though, and if they didn’t take the first time, there’s only a nine percent chance of them working after more surgery.  It will be four months to prep you and extract the cells, and another two months until the surgery.  Or, you can decide to leave your left leg as it is.  It was nearly crushed in the accident, which is probably why it’s not healing properly.  What will it be?”

Barney froze.  Would Robin still want to marry him if he could only hobble from place to place? Would he be able to care for Ellie? What would it mean for him and his future?

After a lengthy internal debate, he made his decision.  “Okay, Doc,” he sighed.

* * *

 

“You’ve reached Judge Eriksen’s voicemail. Leave a message and he will listen to it and respond in a timely manner.  Thank you for calling the New York Supreme Court Judicial Office.” A beep sounded.

“Hey, Marshall, it’s Robin. Barney and I have decided to get married next week Friday.  I know it’s a little spur-of-the-moment, but we wanted to keep it small. Just you guys and the kids. We were wondering, could we use your office for the actual ceremony?  Barney has a ‘minister guy’.  Yeah, I don’t want to know what that means either.  But he promised that there will be no bear this time, so that’s a plus. It’s gonna be low-key. Call me with your answer. Thanks.”

* * *

 

This time, they walked into the building hand in hand.

Well, hand in Ellie’s hand.

Barney hobbled up the steps as best he could, stopping to lift his left leg up on each individual step.

“Do you need help, Daddy?” Ellie asked.

Barney smiled.  “I’ve got it, honey.  You walk ahead with your mom.”

Robin took Ellie inside, where she knew the rest of the gang would be waiting.

Instead of the traditional clothing like the first time, Robin wore a simple pink sundress.  It was remarkably warm for Valentine’s Day, but Barney still wore his suit. Ellie had picked out a long baby blue gown while shopping with her aunts, and she even had a tiara to complete the princess look.

Barney waited in the vestibule of the building for his minister guy to show up.  An older, Italian-looking man finally walked through the door. “Hey, Barney!  How you doin’?”

Barney nodded and grinned.  “Today is going to be legendary.  It’s been a while, Joey.  How’s the Hollywood life treating you?”

Joey shrugged.  “Not too many big roles for the over-sixty crowd anymore since Clooney’s dominating the seventy-plus market.”

“Tough break, man.  But I’m so glad you were in town.  It wouldn’t be a wedding without Joey Tribbiani officiating.”

“I know, right?” he asked, acting as if it were a dumb question.  “Now, let’s get this baby started.”

* * *

 

“Robin, I promise to love you until the day I die. I promise to hold you and keep you and protect you.  I promise to provide for you, appreciate you, and put ‘we’ before ‘me’.

“Barney, I promise to never let you go. I promise to be a good wife and a good mother, and to always stand by you.  And I promise to love you both unconditionally.”

“You may now kiss the bride.”

* * *

 

“Don’t you just love weddings?” Penny asked, a dreamy look in her eye.

Ted blinked at her.  “Yes. When people are adults. And they’re not sixteen. And they’re over forty. And they’re not sixteen.”

Penny rolled her eyes. “I heard you the first time, Dad. Sheesh.  It’s not like I’d _want_ to get married soon, anyway.  I just think weddings are nice, that’s all.”

* * *

 

Ellie twirled around the room, her skirt gently ballooning out underneath her.  “Momma, Daddy, look!”

Barney and Robin turned to watch her pirouette toward them, adding in pliés and arabesques as she danced.

“I should probably sign her up for more dance lessons,” remarked Barney.

Robin smiled at her stepdaughter. “She’s got talent.”

Joey clapped his hands.  “Hey everyone, these guys,” he said, pointing to the newly-remarried Stinsons, “are gonna dance together.”

Robin led Barney to the dance floor, which was really just the middle of the conference room they were using as the reception hall.

Barney put his hands on her waist. “Can you tell me what song it is now?”

Robin wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled into her husband’s chest.  “It’s pretty old. But it’s right. Listen to the words.”

Tracy cleared her throat and turned on the microphone. Ted shot her a thumbs-up as Daisy sat down at the piano and put her years of lessons to good use.

“I've taken all this time, standing in the snow, and I'm so afraid of what could fall from my lips; afraid of what I know.  But still I carry on, following my heart.  Things could let me down, and I could be betrayed, but love never lies. So, let me be your rose In December.  And I'll be standing here, until spring comes and the snow melts away.  Let me be your Rose In December.  I'll stand here forever, loving you, as a rose in December…”

As Tracy began the second verse, Robin and Barney swayed to the beautiful melody, content and ready to continue their lives.  Together.

* * *

 

how i met your mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Robin and Barney’s wedding song was “Rose in December” by Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. To my knowledge, Cristin Milioti has not covered this song. If someone wants to petition/ask her too, I will support the heck out of that request.


End file.
